The Motion of Tranquility
by Terin
Summary: A post-Revolutions fic involving Neo, Morpheus, Niobe, and the gang.


Disclaimer:  You know the drill—I don't own anything, etc, etc…

Synopsis:  A Neo and Zion story occurring post Revolutions.

**:: T h e  M O T I O N  o f  T R A N Q U I L I T Y::**

THE CONSCIOUSNESS:  The CONSCIOUSNESS does not know what to do with him.

ARCHITECT:  I am afraid he is necessary.  He will have to be kept alive.

THE CONSCIOUSNESS:  Why?

ARCHITECT:  He alone can lead those blind fools.  (Rather iron, isn't it—the blind leading the blind).  At any rate, he is necessary to achieve "peace", as it were.  The bargain must be upheld.

THE CONSCIOUSNESS:  Very well.  We shall return him.  What about the female?

ARCHITECT:  She is irrelevant.

THE CONSCIOUSNESS:  You mentioned his attachment to her.  He will not be pleased upon awakening.

ARCHITECT:  It's too late for her, she's dead; her body is a worthless shell.

THE CONSCIOUSNESS:  There may be a way.

ARCHITECT:  Very well, do what you will with her; she is not my concern.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Zion was buzzing with activity.  Everywhere Morpheus looked, there were thousands of people hammering away at something, all working together in a nonstop effort to repair the sentinels' damage.  After an hour or so of happy rejoicing , the citizens of Zion had begun the process of rebuilding their beloved city, and had been working tirelessly ever since.  

"There have been rumors—rumors that he's dead."  Morpheus was jolted out of his thoughts by a very familiar voice, and turned around to see Niobe, a worried expression on her face.

Morpheus knew instantly who she was referring to.  Neo.  For the past 5 days Morpheus had waited, hoping against hope that his two most trusted crew members would return.  He knew what people though, of course—saw it in their glum expressions when they looked at him.  Some were even bold enough to say, "I'm sorry for your loss.  I know that you were very close to your crew members."  Just like that, assuming they were dead.  //_Assuming makes an ass out of you and me //_—it had been such a Matrix expression, but his mind couldn't help but bring it up every time that he looked in to their faces.  

But despite his brain's valiant attempt to keep his thoughts off of it, a worry had begun to burn like a small flame in the back of his mind.  //_What if they're right?  What if they are dead?//_  It seemed that this possibility was becoming more likely by the hour—the longer it took Trinity and Neo to return, the less likely it was that they were in fact coming back.  

"I have heard the rumors."  He could say no more.  What did she want him to do, confirm them?

"Be honest with me Morpheus—Do you really expect them to come back?"  Ahh, there was no escaping Niobe's bluntness.  Did he really expect them to come back?  Did anyone?  

"He is the one.  I have to belie—"  But his words were cut off by a tremendous sound which consumed the entire docking bay.  Then, to the great incredulity of Morpheus and the other observers, a gigantic machine glided gracefully in through the hole in the ceiling which had been created five days  before by the sentinels.  

_//They're back.  It was all just a trick. Now they've come to finish us off.//_  Morpheus' thoughts were interrupted by the observing crowd's giant gasp—for there, on The Machine, lay an unconscious Neo.  

The Machine floated right up to him, then tilted gently, depositing Neo in a heap on the floor.  

"Why?"  Morpheus only seemed able to utter one syllable. 

"Because," said the multitude of voices emitted by the single machine, "he is necessary.  For peace.  He is the only one.  He is the One."  With that, the machine glided away.

It seemed that everyone except Morpheus was capable of movement—most whispered to each other while the ones close to Morpheus ran to Neo and began examining him. 

"He's hurt pretty badly, we need to get him to the med-bay."  He could here Niobe already taking up her usual authoritative position.  

He glanced down at Neo's unconscious form, for the first time noticing the bandage tied around his eyes.  Bending, he reached to untie it.

"Oh God."  He wasn't sure whether it was his voice or Niobe's which had spoken, but he certainly knew what he was thinking.  Bloody, exposed red and purpling flesh took the place of what had once been Neo's eyes and surrounding skin.  The sight was disgusting, sick, and he inadvertently dropped the cloth back onto Neo's face.

"He's gonna need a lot of work."

TBC

Hi Readers, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW…I've got the next few chapters all planned out but I won't bother posting them if nobody seems interested.  You don't even have to write more than about two words—so please, just take 2 seconds and review.

Cheers,

~Terin:) 


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